Keefer's strategy proved to be a sound one as the Lions scored a 69-63 victory at Paavo Nurmi Gym.

"They did have a lot of size underneath, so we decided to push the ball a little more," the FU skipper said. "I thought we did a good job in the first half. We might have bogged down a little in the second half, but we did enough to get a win and that's the important thing."

Article Photos

Finlandia’s Marissa Burke attacks the basket during Tuesday’s game against Lawrence at Paavo Nurmi Gym. Burke had five 3-pointers and 15 points in the Lions’ 69-63 win. (Paul Peterson photo)

Junior forward Hailey Gervais, the former Hancock High standout, sparked the first-half offense for the locals, netting 13 of her team-leading 17 points.

"Hailey Gervais did a nice job of running on the break," Keefer noted. "And I thought that Emma Cole came in and did a nice job off the bench. She gave us a big lift under the basket."

Cole, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Gwinn, abetted Gervais with six points and six rebounds in the first half as FU grabbed a 37-27 lead at intermission.